Feller was the youngest in the Super Sports Car League on his debut in 2017 and has improved considerably every year since then. His greatest achievement to date – his maiden win at Zandvoort in 2019. After spending a season with Montaplast by Land-Motorsport, he will be returning to BWT Mücke Motorsport this year to share an Audi R8 LMS with Stefan Mücke.
You will be lining up again for BWT Mücke Motorsport this season. Why's that?
Ricardo Feller: "Well, Stefan and Peter Mücke simply refused to let go and were really keen to get me back. They were desperate to work with me again and I felt exactly the same about them. So, BWT Mücke Motorsport were my best option. Also, I already knew the team from the ADAC Formula 4. I really like the outfit, because everything is very familiar to me and I've always enjoyed the way they work. Mücke had a tough year in the 2019 ADAC GT Masters, but I still feel confident despite all of that. I really think they’re on the right track with what they've been doing in terms of restructuring, such as deciding to field just two cars and not three, for example."
Stefan Mücke is a very experienced partner. What do you expect from him and what do you hope he can do for you?
"I think we make a good fit both as people and as drivers. You see, to give just one example, we are both very consistent when going the distance. I'm still fairly young but have gained a tremendous amount of experience. I know that you shouldn't always go in all guns blazing in the ADAC GT Masters but must pull your horns in sometimes. You need to secure as many points as possible on a regular basis, that's paramount, and Stefan approaches racing in the same way. We both know where it's at. I hope too that I can benefit from his experience."
You took your maiden win in the ADAC GT Masters in 2019. How important was that success for you?
"It was good for my self-confidence. Unfortunately, for various reasons, we failed to achieve the goals we'd actually set ourselves in 2019, so obviously, it gives you a real boost, for sure, when you finally get such a terrific result!"
This year will be the first when you are not the youngest in the field. Will that change anything as far as you are concerned?
"Well, I have to admit, I used to get a real kick out of knowing I was the youngest, but none of us are getting any younger, so the situation was bound to change at some point. I'm still only 20, and still one of the youngest in the field, you know, but ultimately, it’s results that count not age."
When you reflect on your three previous seasons in the ADAC GT Masters where do you think you’ve improved most?
"My experience makes the biggest difference, I think, most definitely. With almost 50 races under my belt, I've been through quite a lot already. I've made numerous starts, posted more laps than you can shake a stick at and now know all the circuits. In every race series, there are little tricks and small things to bear in mind in order not to incur any penalties, and experience plays a big part in that. I've learned to drive calmly and with care, to not use force, because the ADAC GT Masters is not just about speed. The standard of competition is extremely high, and the driver who makes the fewest mistakes wins through in the end."
Do you tackle races differently now since becoming more experienced, and are you less prone to suffer from nerves?
"Well actually, I've always been pretty calm before races since first starting out in the ADAC GT Masters - even in my first season when I was just 16. Of course, having become more experienced, I'm now even calmer, the reason being, I know what to expect, know what's around the corner and how things are going to pan out. It was very different when I was karting. I used to get extremely agitated back then and couldn’t eat before races. I've not yet started from the front row in the ADAC GT Masters. I hope that will happen for me at some point during the year. Perhaps then, I'll get a little bit more worked up again before the start. Who knows? At the end of the day, everyone in the ADAC GT Masters wants to win and go home with top-class results, and that's the way I see it too. Our goal is very ambitious, we are well aware, but we've got the package to fight for victory overall. We want to secure as many podiums as possible, including wins, hopefully."
How do you rate the opposition?
"I think the opposition will be even tougher this year, but there's no one in particular that I would single out. You can't do that in the ADAC GT Masters, and that's what I really like about the series. I would be very surprised if anyone managed to clinch the championship before season's end as happened in 2019. I expect that the race for the title will go to the wire."